Ericameria brachylepis
Boundary goldenbush
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ericameria brachylepis (Boundary goldenbush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by crowded small leaves and tall stature.
Boundary goldenbush is a California native shrub found in southern Southern California Coast and southern Peninsular Ranges in chaparral at elevations of 300 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from September to December, this plant produces yellow flowers in discoid heads clustered at the ends of leafy branchlets. Growing 1 to 2 meters tall with nearly smooth stems that are resinous and gland-dotted, it forms a distinctive compact shape. Its leaves are crowded, thread-like to narrowly oblong, 10 to 25 millimeters long, and tend to curl under with age, giving the plant a distinctive tight, textured appearance. The fruit is less than 5 millimeters long and densely covered in soft hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; crowded small leaves and tall stature
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral
Elevation: 300-1400 m
Outside California: Arizona, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Ericameria brachylepis blooms Sep-Dec.
How to tell it apart
vs Isocoma: Ericameria has bracts in 5 vertical rows; Isocoma has randomly arranged bracts.; vs Chrysothamnus: Ericameria has woolly young stems and deep pitted glands; Chrysothamnus has smooth/slightly fuzzy stems and surface glands or none.; vs Baccharis: Ericameria has yellow bisexual flowers in each head; Baccharis has separate male/female plants with whitish flowers.; vs Artemisia: Ericameria has yellow flowers and gland-dotted leaves; Artemisia has greenish flowers and aromatic gray-hairy leaves.; vs Lepidospartum: Ericameria has small narrow leaves; Lepidospartum has scale-like leaves on green rush-like stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ericameria brachylepis native to California?
Yes. Ericameria brachylepis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ericameria brachylepis bloom?
Ericameria brachylepis blooms Sep-Dec.
What plant family does Ericameria brachylepis belong to?
Ericameria brachylepis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Ericameria.
What habitat does Ericameria brachylepis grow in?
Ericameria brachylepis grows in Chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ericameria cooperi var. cooperi — Cooper's goldenbush
- Ericameria cuneata — Wedgeleaf goldenbush
- Ericameria cuneata var. cuneata — Cliff goldenbush
- Ericameria cuneata var. macrocephala — Laguna mountains goldenbush
- Ericameria cuneata var. spathulata — Cliff goldenbush
- Ericameria discoidea — Whitestem goldenbush
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.